Private Hospital Sitters & Bedside Caregivers in NYC & Long Island | 7 Day Home Care

Nassau · Suffolk · Manhattan · Brooklyn · Queens

Private Hospital Sitters & Bedside Caregivers in NYC & Long Island

When you can't be at the hospital, our caregivers can be by their side. 7 Day Home Care provides private, non-medical bedside companions for daytime, evening and overnight hours, keeping your loved one company, helping them get the nurse's attention, and keeping you informed.

Call (516) 408-0034 Request a free consultation
Smiling caregiver talking with an older woman in a hospital bed
Rates
From $33 per hour
Shifts
Daytime, evening & overnight
Service area
Nassau, Suffolk, Manhattan, Brooklyn & Queens
Type of care
Non-medical companionship & support
To start
(516) 408-0034

The quick answer

What is a private hospital sitter?

A private hospital sitter is a caregiver a family hires to stay with a patient during a hospital stay. The sitter provides companionship, helps the patient ask staff for what they need, and keeps family informed. Hospital nurses and doctors remain fully responsible for medical care.

Families also call this a hospital companion , bedside caregiver or overnight hospital sitter. Whatever the name, the goal is the same: your loved one isn't alone, and you're not left wondering how they're doing.

Caregiver helping an elderly woman with a glass of water

Before you call: hospital access

Every hospital sets its own rules for private caregivers, and they can differ by unit. Some allow paid companions around the clock; others limit hours or restrict access in ICUs, behavioral health, pediatric and isolation units.

Here's how we handle it: we help you confirm the hospital's rules with the nurse manager or patient relations office before the first shift, bring whatever documentation the hospital asks for, and confirm the schedule with you only once access is clear.

What the service includes

How a bedside companion helps

Companionship

Conversation, reassurance and a familiar face, especially during long admissions or when family is at work or far away.

Overnight presence

Someone in the room for patients who become anxious or disoriented at night, so family members can sleep.

Getting help faster

Using the call bell, describing discomfort clearly, and asking the nurse when something seems wrong.

Mealtime support

Setting up meal trays, encouraging eating and drinking within the hospital's diet orders, and telling staff when intake is poor.

Updates for family

Regular, factual updates on how your loved one is doing, by text or call, to the people the patient has authorized.

Discharge-day help

Tracking discharge timing, making sure written instructions are collected, and lining up overnight care or personal care at home.

What our companions don't do: give medications, interpret test results, make medical decisions, or replace the hospital's nurses. If a patient shows sudden confusion, chest pain, trouble breathing, a fall or new weakness, the caregiver alerts hospital staff immediately.

Pricing

How much does a private hospital sitter cost?

7 Day Home Care's hospital bedside companions start at $33 per hour. Your rate depends on the shift length, time of day, and how much notice we have. We give you the rate and total cost in writing before care begins.

$33/hr starting rate for hospital bedside companionship

What affects the rate:

  • Overnight versus daytime hours
  • Shift length and how many days of coverage you need
  • Weekends, holidays and same-day or short-notice requests
  • Specific caregiver requests, such as a language preference

Private bedside companionship is generally paid privately. See the insurance question in the FAQs below.

Know the difference

Hospital-assigned sitter vs. private companion

Many families are told the hospital "already has sitters." Hospitals do assign their own staff observers, often called 1:1 sitters or safety companions, to patients the clinical team decides need continuous watching. A private companion is different, and the two can work side by side.

Hospital-assigned 1:1 sitter Private companion from 7 Day Home Care
Who decides The hospital's clinical team You and your loved one
Purpose Safety observation, e.g. fall or self-harm risk Companionship, communication and family updates
Who they report to The nursing unit You (within the patient's privacy wishes), and they alert nurses to concerns
Availability Only when clinically indicated and staffed Booked for the hours you choose, subject to hospital access

If you think your loved one needs safety observation, ask their nurse directly. A private companion can provide comfort and company, but doesn't replace a hospital-required observer.

Caregiver supporting an older man walking with a walker

Our caregivers

Screened, trained and ready for hospital requirements

Hospitals often ask outside caregivers for proof of screening before they can stay at the bedside. Our caregivers are employees of 7 Day Home Care, not independent contractors, and come with:

  • Criminal background checks as required for New York home care aides
  • Health screening, including TB testing
  • New York State–approved aide training(home health aide or personal care aide)
  • Photo identification and agency contact information for hospital staff
  • RN supervision from our clinical team

If a hospital requests additional documentation, such as vaccination records, we'll help gather it. Tell us your loved one's preferred language and we'll try to match a caregiver who speaks it.

When families call

When a private bedside companion helps most

  • After surgery or during a long admission, when days in a hospital room get lonely and help can be slow to arrive.
  • When family can't be there because of work, children, distance or exhaustion.
  • For patients with dementia or memory changes, who are often calmer with a steady, familiar presence. Hospital staff still assess and manage delirium and safety risks.
  • Overnight, when anxiety and confusion are often worse and visitors have gone home.
  • For families managing care from out of town, who need someone local giving them reliable updates.

Getting started

How to arrange hospital bedside care

  1. Call us

    Tell us the hospital, unit, dates and hours you want covered.

  2. Confirm access

    We help you check the hospital's rules for private caregivers and any paperwork it needs.

  3. Match a caregiver

    We select a caregiver for your schedule and your loved one's needs, and confirm your rate in writing.

  4. Stay in touch

    We agree on who receives updates, how often, and when the caregiver should alert the nurse.

Helpful to have ready when you call

  • Hospital name, unit and room, if known
  • The hours and dates you'd like covered
  • Whether your loved one (or their legal representative) agrees to a companion
  • Anything the hospital has told you about outside caregivers
  • Preferred language and what kind of support would help most
  • Who should receive updates

Please don't send diagnoses or medical records through a website form. We'll discuss anything sensitive by phone.

About 7 Day Home Care

A licensed New York home care agency

7 Day Home Care is a New York State–licensed home care services agency (LHCSA). You can look up licensed agencies in the New York State Department of Health's home care directory. We employ home health aides and personal care aides, and our care is supervised by registered nurses.

We serve families in Nassau County, Suffolk County, Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. Because we also provide care at home, the same team can help your loved one make the transition after discharge, with companion care, Alzheimer's and dementia care, personal care or overnight care.

Hospital directory

Hospitals in our service area

Find the hospital where your loved one is staying. Each link goes to the hospital's own site, where you can check its location and current visitor policy. We are independent of these hospitals; a listing doesn't mean a hospital has pre-approved our caregivers.

Nassau County 11 hospitals
Suffolk County 17 hospitals
Queens 13 hospitals
Brooklyn 17 hospitals
Manhattan 25 hospitals

Includes general, children's, cancer, rehabilitation, palliative, veterans and behavioral-health hospitals. Emergency-only sites, clinics and nursing homes aren't listed. Don't see your hospital? Call us. Access is often most restricted in ICU, behavioral-health, pediatric and isolation units.

Safety and privacy

Medical boundaries and patient privacy

Food and fluids: caregivers follow the hospital's orders, including nothing-by-mouth (NPO), swallowing precautions and fluid limits. They never bring in food or drink that hasn't been approved.

Moving the patient: caregivers don't transfer, reposition or help with devices unless the hospital permits it.

Privacy: updates go only to people the patient has authorized or as the law permits. Diagnoses, results and treatment questions go to the hospital's clinicians.

Safety: companions don't replace nursing care, fall precautions or a hospital-required 1:1 observer.

Learn more in the New York State Hospital Patients' Bill of Rights and the HHS guide to sharing health information with family and friends.

Common questions

Hospital sitter FAQs

Can I hire a private caregiver to stay with my parent in the hospital?

Often, yes, though each hospital and unit sets its own rules. Ask the nurse manager or patient relations office whether paid companions are allowed and what documentation they need. We'll help you through those steps before care starts.

How much does a private hospital sitter cost?

Our hospital bedside companions start at $33 per hour. The final rate depends on shift length, overnight or weekend hours, and how quickly you need coverage. We confirm the rate in writing before the first shift.

Can a hospital sitter stay overnight?

Yes, we offer overnight shifts. Whether a companion can stay overnight depends on the hospital and unit, so we confirm overnight access with the hospital before scheduling.

Doesn't the hospital provide sitters?

Hospitals assign their own 1:1 observers when the clinical team decides a patient needs continuous safety monitoring. That's a medical decision, and it isn't the same as a companion your family chooses. If you think your loved one needs safety observation, ask their nurse.

What's the difference between a hospital sitter and a nurse?

A sitter or companion provides company, comfort and help communicating. Nurses provide medical care: assessments, medications, treatments and monitoring. Our companions never replace hospital nursing staff.

Can the caregiver help with eating and drinking?

Yes, within the hospital's diet orders. Caregivers can set up trays, encourage eating and tell staff about poor intake. They always follow NPO orders, swallowing precautions and fluid restrictions.

Will the caregiver keep our family updated?

Yes. Caregivers share factual updates, like how your loved one slept or ate, with the people the patient has authorized. Medical questions go to the hospital's doctors and nurses.

Can a companion help someone with dementia or delirium in the hospital?

Yes. A calm, consistent presence often helps patients with dementia feel more at ease. Sudden new confusion can signal delirium, though, and needs prompt evaluation by the hospital team, so the caregiver reports it right away.

Does Medicare or insurance pay for a private hospital sitter?

Usually not. Original Medicare's hospital benefit doesn't cover a privately hired bedside companion. Long-term care insurance policies vary, and some don't pay for care during a hospital stay, so check your policy and get written confirmation before relying on it.

How fast can you start?

Timing depends on the hospital's approval process, the hours you need and caregiver availability. Call (516) 408-0034 and we'll give you a realistic start time.

Do you serve the Bronx or Staten Island?

Not currently. We serve Nassau County, Suffolk County, Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens.

We're here to help

Someone by their side, even when you can't be there.

Tell us which hospital your loved one is in and when you'd like someone with them. We'll walk you through hospital access, rates and caregiver availability.

Call (516) 408-0034 Request a free consultation
Call (516) 408-0034